Time For Termite Treatment
Termites can infest structures at any time, but they’re especially important when purchasing or selling a property because a termite inspection/infestation report is typically a condition of sale. Thousands of winged termites emerging within one’s home, aside from the financial cost, is an emotionally draining experience not to mention the thought of termites silently eating on one’s largest investment. When winged termites are discovered indoors, it nearly invariably means there is an infestation that needs to be addressed. However, termite treatment can be divided into two categories: liquids and baits. Termiticides in liquid form have been around for decades. Their goal is to create a long-lasting “barrier” in the soil that prevents termites from infesting structures.
Types of Treatment
Termites already inside the structure usually die off as well, as they are unable to return to the earth for moisture. The majority of previous liquid termiticides were repellant rather than lethal to soil-foraging termites. Termidor®/Taurus® (fipronil), Premise® (imidacloprid), and Altriset® (chlorantraniliprole) are currently available products that are non-repellent and kill termites that burrow into treated regions. In most cases, such products are more effective at controlling infestations in the first place.
Baiting is the other type of treatment. Termite baits are made out of cellulose-based food and a termite-killing agent that takes a long time to work. In the yard, the baits are set in cylindrical plastic stations below ground. Indoors, other sorts of bait stations are sometimes put over active mud tubes. Foraging termites devour the bait, which they subsequently share with their nestmates, resulting in a gradual drop in termite numbers. Baits may be the only kind of treatment on some properties; on others, they may be complemented with liquid applications to places where termites have been found.
What to Expect From Your Termite Inspection
Regardless of the method employed, it’s critical to hire an expert specialist who is backed by a reputable pest control company. Termite colonies on the ground can include tens of thousands of individuals foraging in all directions. As a result, even in circumstances of warranty-related retreatment, localized “spot” treatments are usually a gamble. Most professional pest control companies will not recommend spot treatments because termites will most likely find alternative ways into the structure.
The length of termite control on a given home is determined by many factors, including the termiticide product used, the thoroughness with which it was applied, the location of the residence, local environmental conditions, and the population of termites on the property. It is not because the termiticide has degraded that termites swarm and continue to infest the structure a year after treatment; rather, the pests have discovered an untreated break in the chemical barrier. Termiticides are put through a lot of testing to see whether they have any negative health consequences. According to current knowledge, when used according to label recommendations, registered termiticides pose no major risk to humans, pets, or the environment.
Certainly not. Termite control, unlike other services such as plumbing or electrical work, involves living animals. When termites find their way through untreated cracks in the soil, even the greatest treatments conducted by competent pest control companies may fail. While the goal is to create a continuous, impenetrable chemical barrier, this is difficult to do in practice. Termites may take weeks or months to find the belowground installations when using baits, and even longer to gain control. The key is to work with a reliable pest control company that employs knowledgeable and conscientious specialists. If the consumer purchases and maintains their guarantee, the company will return and retract the afflicted area(s) at no additional cost.